One of the best TJ's I've been to! Their produce and fruit is always super fresh! (Much fresher than the one in LA that I go to twice a week). And they have a superb selection and always have the newest items! The store is a bit smaller than other TJ's, but it is very clean and has a much cozier, comfier feel. The staff is always really helpful and friendly. Extremely popular with the locals -- always bustling, but usually the lines aren't too bad. Love this place! read more

I've been going here for always two school years and this place is always my savior. The employees are very nice and helpful and the groceries are always fresh. The store can get pretty packed on Sunday and Monday nights with students so try to avoid going then. I am a big fan of TJ's in Goleta woo! read more

I LOVE Trader Joes, and I will refuse to live anywhere without a Trader Joes. Their produce selection is just awesome, and usually always fresh and nightly packaged. I love the bag of "Southern Greens" - great in soups or sauteed as a side dish. The service is great - people are friendly and always ask the customers if they need help. They usually have samples, which have introduced me to great convenient items like the frozen grilled chicken burgers. Great for a quick meal! I also like their tea and coffee selection, which is pretty affordable. I prefer the Organic Breakfast Blend, I think it's $7 (and this is a former Starbucks barista talkin!). Why four stars? The size. Compared to the Trader Joes on De La Vina, this one is pretty cramped in. So the lines can get subsequently long. Bring your own bags, save a tree! read more

I LOVE TRADER JOES! I only started to buy trader joes' products when i moved to goleta. I'm such a fan now. I love the fresh produce, the amazing 'dinner' entrees and the snacks! I always zip my way to the fruit/ salad section (amazing salad selection..and i hit the hummus/pizzza ). I love their garlic & mushroom pizza. it's fresh and delicious. the price is also reasonable. then, i would go get some samples from the stand and most of the time its amazing! my favorites at the freezer section are frozen chicken (asian style) , stir-fry asian vegetable, pad thai, frozen wonton, ice cream, and then i hit the snacks! So much good stuff at the snack stands. The service is awesome, people will always be happy to help you and when you check out. they are smiling and being so positive. read more

Avoid weekends and after-work hours if possible. Parking can be a nightmare because of the small lot and I've seen the lines go to the back of the store. Despite that, Trader Joe's is awesome! A lot of basics are cheaper than you would find at Vons or Albertson's (a dozen eggs for $2.49, gallon of milk for $3.29, bagels for $1.79). Plus they have a lot of unique frozen and easy-to-make foods from a variety of different cultures. It's my first stop when I need to go grocery shopping. Also, the workers are so nice! They always seem so enthusiastic when you go to check out and offer recommendations for other products. read more

Favorite place to go for groceries! It is so perfectly small that I can do all of my shopping really quickly, and the bill is always ridiculously inexpensive for how much produce I get. Alcohol is also really cheap. The only thing that could make this place any better would be if they got a juice bar (PLEASE!?!) Try the steamed beets on the top row of the refrigerated produce section, they are really good! Staff is always extremely friendly. It gets really crowded at around 5 with the dinner rush, so avoid it then. read more

What a wonderful establishment! Always great prices for wonderful products! Beautiful flowers for cheap and wonderful employees!

Thumb's up for affordable milk, lots of vegetarian frozen products (Fellow vegs MUST try their soy orange chicken!!), good selection of fruits and veggies, and great customer service. Gotta love tj's read more

I do love TJ, great products, great food and selection. This one is particularly great since there is ample parking and a great and helpful staff. read more

Then staff are absolutely incredible here. The produce could be better. Great vibe throughout the store. Very welcoming

I've never written a yelp review, but I just want everyone to know that Jason is amazing and he truly cares about people. This Trader Joe's is a great experience always :) read more

An awesome Trader Joe's! Everyone was super friendly and in a great mood. I really like how they make organic choices easier to find by putting their labels in green. They also have good prices and a great selection of items. However, make sure to not go to this place during rush hours! Mainly between the hours of 5-6pm on Sunday or Monday because customers get crazy! People everywhere which makes it hard to browse and leisurely get your groceries. The check-out guy that helped me was also very cool and don't forget those reusable bags! read more

I love my Trader Joes. I could go on and on about the awesome food, great prices and excellent wine selections, but what I want to talk about are the people. This TJs has hired some pretty amazing people to work there. They greet me and my children every time we come in, which is twice a week sometimes. They are friendly, seem to really love their jobs and are always willing to help me load my bags in the car with a smile. I really appreciate the outstanding customer service that I get when I shop at Trader Joes. I love it so much, I can't even complain about the parking. :) read more

Some people have the misconception that Trader Joes is really overpriced...but they aren't! They have great prices, for an awesome selection of produce and snacks and wine and bread and the list goes on and on!!! I come for great groceries, friendly service & awesome samples. The only downfall is that when its busy this store gets very crowded!!! read more

TJ has a coconut water?!? Awesome!! i had the Greek salad and Chocolate bar... it was fabulous, yet how can you go wrong? It was super crowded and people are vultures in the parking lot. read more

It's a fine, smaller store. The employees can get surly at times. Tonight, one employee cut in front of me in line to make her own purchases! How rude. One time the cashier with the red beard chewed out my dad for trying to use the (empty) express lane to buy FIFTEEN (oh my!) items. But I just thought that was funny. read more

I'm reminded of the Yogi Berra line about a place being too crowded. Avoid at peak busy times. Line length approaches defrost time for frozen food. Staff is usually very friendly and helpful. They just need to improve their checkout throughput. read more

I moved out of the neighborhood from the Goleta Trader Joe's and still go out of my way to shop there. Best parking of all 3 local stores and the most engaging staff. The sample table is easy to access and the helmsmen (greeters) and great at saying hello and being helpful. The art is beautifully arranged about the store and my son still looks forward to going there after all these years. This place is popular for so many reasons. Still the best prices in town on: Milk, cheese, eggs, pasta, marinara, OJ, chicken, pork chops, olive oil, organic coffee, breakfast sausages, cereal, granola bars, tortilla chips, cottage cheese, yogurt, bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and probably 20 other items I've forgotten. read more

Average sized Trader Joes. Quality products sold at very comparable prices to your local supermarket. Your local place might have some cheaper items that are probably of lesser quality, but give Trader Joes a shot for your everyday shopping and you may be surprised. Don't forget to bring your own bags. read more

Excellent, excellent, excellent! I used to drive over to Milpas just for TJ's many moons ago. So glad to have them in the neighborhood! Best prices, best products, friendly staff. Penny read more

Love TJ in general, and especially this one.. Every employee is really friendly and knowledgeable, there's parking, and the food is great. I always have to grab a free sample and a small coffee everytime. It can be crowded after work, especially on Mondays. This is the smallest store in SB (size but not product wise), but most convenient because of the large parking lot. I like the people who shop at this location the best because it is maily students, young professionals, and laid back Goleta families, versus the DLV and Milpas ones. read more

Last night I dropped my grocery bag on my way out, getting beer and broken glass everywhere and soaking everything in the bag. I was so embarrassed. Within seconds, several sympathetic TJ employees rushed over. They cleaned it up, gave us a brand-new canvas bag, and replaced all our soaked groceries, for free. It was especially generous because it was all my fault -- it was my own non-TJs bag that had broken, which I had packed myself. They really went above-and-beyond, ensuring my loyalty for many years to come. Nice work folks!! read more

Trader Joe's is always a happy place and this one on Calle Real is no exception. Apart from tight parking spots this shopping complex entertains their customers, a visit to Trader Joe's is always a joy. The fruits are fresh and though I live closer to some other supermarkets, I would come buy bananas and jazz apples here. My other favorite items are the espresso pillows they keep next to the cashier, speculoos cookie spread, rice cracker snacks, and their frozen Indian food. read more

I realize TJ's has gotten 5 stars, but as one who has been shopping at a Trader Joe's since 1994, and before that at Pronto Market, the forerunner of TJ's since 1964, I can say I do like TJ for the selection and price. Quality? Well I"m glad they have such a good return policy, because quite often I have tried something new and it's just lousy. In general their food looks better on the package than on my plate. Most of the people who work there are friendly, some know me, and it's nice to see them, but others glare at me when I come in, and one older dude questions me when I return an item, which is annoying. There are always beautiful women shopping there, which I like, and families with kids, which is fun to watch ("GET AWAY FROM THAT COOKIE! YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH"), so all in all I am glad they are here. I shop there a few times a week, and the prices make it worthwhile, but not the quality. read more

This is my favorite TJ'S in the greater SB area. Friendly staff, better parking and well stocked. The surrounding businesses are great too, so you can really hammer out the errands without moving the car. My only disappointment is with fresh produce. It is like playing Russian Roulette with bagged and shrink wrapped items. Quality and taste is inconsistent. read more

worst time at your store .THE Music WAS SUPER ANNOYING . i asked and nothing happened . i left the store and went to sprouts ..you were playing this song by DRAKE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxpDa-c-4Mc , no one was in the store at 10 am under 50 .. I HAVE A HEADACHE ,,, thank gooodness sprouts does not play drake . i asked the manger to please change the music ..they laughted and said," you dony like the jam" no i am not 12 ,,,good bye tjs read more

Trader Joe's is always great! This location is currently undergoing remodeling so everything is super out of place, and things are out of stock and not where the tags say so it's a little frustrating. Even with all that going on, the staff is so nice and helpful. I can't wait for the renovations to be completed! read more

This TJ's location was my first experience of TJ's in Santa Barbara County. I find that the store is always clean and is constantly being stocked with merchandise. I love the fact that you can grab any employee and ask them a question and they are usually skilled in all products. I also enjoy the coffee and samples they always have going on and they seem to have a very great fruit and flower section everytime I visit. One star off because the parking lot here is NIGHTMARE. read more

BEWARE. If you absolutely need your joe-o's and trader ming's noodle boxes then please try and go to one of the other tj's in the area. This one, no matter the time of the day, is SWARMING with horrible soccer moms and children and all kinds of yuppies that will not hesitate you to push you out of the way to get their hummus and organic eggs. Seriously, the eggs are the worst place to stand. Don't even think about trying to contemplate between two different products/brands/whatever, because these people know exactly what you want and if you wanna fuck with the system you'll get a shopping cart to the face. also trader joe's food isn't really that great. the noodle boxes are easy to make but they sort of taste like play-doh?! can't say much about the service, they seem like your average joebros. They get 2 stars for the cheap booze though. Without trader joes Charles Shaw wine what would my degenerate college friends and I have to drink at our "classy" themed parties? Simpler times is good for practicing your shotgunning skills too. But the nightmare that I have whenever I think about going on there almost always persuades me to going to Alby's instead. TRADER JOES? MORE LIKE TRADER NOES! read more

If you're looking for a place to get $2 wine for your sangria, then you've found the right place. Get your Blender's smoothie then come on into this not-grocery store. What does that mean? During the supermarket union worker strike, I shopped at TJ's without the angry mob members. It was nice. I do not like TJ's packaged produce. On Thursdays, go to the farmer's market across the street. It was Thursdays when I was in college, but that day could have changed. Try the wasabi peas, the Asian flavored cracker stick things, the organic trail mix, and all of their frozen foods. My coworkers and I are planning a "Frozen TJ tasting party" where we sample all of the frozen foods. I can't wait. read more

Love Goleta's Trader Joe's. Particularly glad to discover a new item: Super Green Drink Powder, Chocolate Flavor. Yum! It's filled with dark chocolate nice-e-um. I've mixed it with milk or water, hot or cold, with/without sweetener and each time i drink it, i notice increased energy. Calm energy. This powder has quickly taken the place of my coffee pot, juice, other energy drinks, even my afternoon glass of wine. I just love it! Please Goleta TJ's keep stocking it! read more

I had not been a big fan of Trader Joe's since I hadn't had a very good customer service experience until last Tuesday. Even though I was feeling so weak and sick, I went to the store about 8:45 am. Once I got to the checkout line, I remember that I forgot an additional item and I asked the cashier where to find it; the boy next to her named Travis immediately reacted and went to get it for me; additionally, because my bag was so heavy, Travis offered help to my car. I can't describe how thankful I was when I really needed some help; I call it excellent customer service. Thank you Travis for caring about your customers no matter if they are Latin Spanish looking people. read more

I love everything about Trader Joes. It cheaper, friendlier, higher quality noms than Vons or Albertsons. I am a sucker for just about any of their frozen foods or baked goods, and have a hard time leaving without drooling over their cheese selection. My only problem is that not all produce is available individually, and there's no loose lettuce or anything like that. Also, no queso fresco, but that's fairly random. Woohoo TJs, I love you! read more

I wish it was as special as everyone says....but having ventured to other grocery stores, I can confidently say that it is JUST A GROCERY STORE. Main differences: 1) The cashiers have always seemed happy to be there (now that's a rarity) 2) Mint choc. chip ice cream will have you breaking your bathroom scale if you're not careful. They have a lot of other tasty sweets, too. 3) It's cozy. I say that as euphemistically as possible. Every time I have been, I've had to be on top of my defensive carting skills. read more

I totally loooove Trader Joe's BUT this TJ's is always sooooo crowded. It's like a massive traffic jam just about all the time - especially on Sundays when the UCSB crowd are stocking up after a weekend of partying. At least everyone is nice about it. I wish this place had a little more room. It would really help ease the crowding problem here. Here's hoping that someday they'll be able to expand. read more

Ever since the store remodel there has been an unpleasant strange smell in this place, I've talked to other customers who notice it too and don't like it. I'm not sure what it is but it started when they had the ceiling opened up and did not go away when it was closed back up. Maybe it's the floor, which I can't understand why they didn't put in new flooring, just polished the concrete, it makes the store look cheap and unfinished. I'm writing this because I'm driving all the way to the TJS on Milpas today, to avoid that strange odor. read more

Trader Joes in general is fantastic, and this is a really good location. My only gripe is that it's a bit smaller than other Trader Joes locations, so it doesn't have quite the selection that other stores have. The small store is made up for by ample parking (often a problem in Goleta/Santa Barbara) and an incredibly friendly staff. My favorite things to buy at Trader Joes are produce and dairy. They don't have the greatest selection of meats, but they do have nitrate-free lunch meat, which I love. Of course my favorite products are found in the ready-to-cook frozen food section, including my staple of orange chicken. Prices vary depending upon the item. Some items are super cheap and others would be less expensive at Vons nearby. Still, you're getting great quality for whatever price you pay. One other feature that I love is that you get raffle tickets if you bring your own bags. Also, if you don't like a product, you can return it for a refund. read more

I've been a customer of Trader Joe's for a long time. Recently, I purchased a $50 gift card for our daughter's birthday on Saturday. Granted, what happened next is my fault (I misplaced the card after I got it home, but I know it made it home), but their customer service was lousy at helping me resolve the issue. I went back to the store the Sunday; I explained what happened; Captain Debbie told me that she "knew there was a way to fix it, but she didn't know how". All I wanted was for the card to be canceled; I had my original receipt. I know it can be done easily. (Full disclosure, I work for Whole Foods in customer service and I perform this service all the time.) Captain Debbie took my information, along with my original receipt and said she'd get back to me the Monday. I heard nothing... for two days. I went back to the store on Wednesday. I explained it to Amy; she said, "I know this will be repetitive, but..." and had me provide her the same info as I had given to Cap'n Deb (who happened to walk up and remembered me). Amy said, it might take until Friday. Okay. On Thursday at work, I got a call from Crew Member Mo who said he could refund my credit card if I stopped by the store. "Sure, I'll stop by at 2:30 after work." Mo said he'd be there. I went. Mo wasn't there. Good ole' Cap'n Deb was there and said Mo had stepped out to Staples next door and someone was going to get him. Meanwhile, Crew Member Chris comes along, Deb asked him to help and he did. He printed out the email with information, and while he didn't refund the $50 to my credit card, he did give me $50 cash. I appreciate that it was resolved. That said, I was very patient, nice, understanding all three times I had to go to the store. Yes, it was my fault for misplacing card, but the customer service stinks. Three trips? No, I'm sorry. No, here, let us give you a gift card for your trouble. No, I didn't ask for one, and I'm fairly certain they wouldn't have given me one. At any rate, I will no longer purchase any gift cards from Trader Joe's. I learned my lesson the hard way. read more

I love TJ! Easy parking, employees are helpful & the overall vibe is welcoming and friendly. Everything is consistently stocked full with fresh rotation & easy to find. For sure my "go to" market. read more

I have absolutely zero complaints about this Trader Joe's. I also can't really say anything about this Trader Joe's that hasn't already been said. I'm just writing this review to acknowledge that Dale is one of the coolest cats I've ever met. If you frequent this TJ's, particularly on the weekends, make friends with this dude. I guarantee he'll be a bright spot on your day. read more